[Madam has just left for work after finishing her breakfast.]

The person Oh Jipsa called was none other than Ji Do Jun.

“Good work.”

Do Jun, who was about to hang up immediately after finishing his words, called Oh Jipsa again.

“Oh Jipsa, you said you graduated from Korea Girls’ High School, right?”

Oh Jipsa’s expression darkened when Do Jun suddenly asked about her high school.

“Yes. Why the sudden question about high school…”

Oh Jipsa tensed up and waited for Do Jun’s next words.

“Do you happen to know someone named An Yun Jung among your alumni?”

There was a three-second silence after Do Jun’s question. Oh Jipsa, who seemed to be pondering and stalling for time, forced her lips to move.

“No. It’s the first time I’ve heard that name. The girls’ high school I graduated from had many more students than other schools.”

“Is that so?”

Do Jun doubted Oh Jipsa’s slow response but immediately hung up. The information Do Jun had learned about Ga Eun’s birth mother over the past 3 years was very limited. That she graduated from Korea Girls’ High School and her name was An Yun Jung.

As if she had deliberately hidden her traces, Do Jun tried to find her using all his connections, but it wasn’t easy. Yoon Ga Eun’s birth mother was currently missing.

After confirming that Do Jun had hung up, the secretary entered the CEO’s office.

“I’ve postponed this morning’s meeting to tomorrow.”

“Good work.”

Do Jun looked at the pile of approval documents on his desk. This was the first time work had piled up like this since he became CEO.

As Do Jun held one approval document in his hand, a low mutter escaped his lips.

“It’s funny how I’m following Yoon Ga Eun around like a puppy.”

Do Jun’s gaze kept drifting from the approval documents to the clock on the wall.

[This is the timeline separator]

When Ga Eun came out of the house, the driver was waiting for her as usual. Ga Eun briefly greeted the driver and hurriedly got into the car.

Despite checking the fashion show stage many times, Ga Eun was anxious about what controversy Jayoung Fashion might cause again. Seeing Ga Eun’s anxious face, the driver spoke to her in a friendly manner, as if trying to cheer her up.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a fashion show held at a fabric factory.”

The fashion show venue Ga Eun had revealed was indeed a fabric factory. In line with the eco-friendly fashion slogan, Ga Eun had planned a bold fashion show venue.

“I wanted to hold the fashion show in a place closely related to clothes, even though it’s not easily thought of.”

Ga Eun’s eyes immediately lit up as she answered the question about the fashion show.

When first deciding on the fashion show venue, she had looked for a place beyond the reach of Jayoung Fashion and Lee Yun Sook. Then it occurred to her that preparing for the fashion show was also creating another form of waste.

So Ga Eun set up the fashion show stage at the fabric factory where the clothes were directly manufactured. The manufacturing process of NCT fabric, the main fabric for this fashion show, was displayed throughout.

When the car carrying Ga Eun stopped at the fashion show venue, Ga Eun couldn’t easily get out of the car.

“Do well, Madam.”

Only after hearing the driver’s encouragement did Ga Eun hurriedly get out of the car. As she entered the fabric factory, preparations for the fashion show were in full swing.

With the show starting in an hour, models could be seen applying makeup and repeatedly checking their stage movements.

Manager Moon ran over to greet Ga Eun with a smile.

“You’re here, Team Leader?”

Ga Eun remained tense until the end, not knowing what Lee Yun Sook might have done this time.

“Have all the models arrived?”

“Yes. They’re all preparing for the fashion show now.”

Only after hearing Manager Moon’s words did Ga Eun let go of some of her worries.

“No problems with the lighting, right?”

“No. We’ve checked three times. There’s no problem.”

Ga Eun was personally going around the fashion show stage, checking every corner for any issues. Just then, a stage staff member carrying lighting equipment bumped into Ga Eun’s shoulder as they passed by.

“I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing the brief apology, Ga Eun felt goosebumps rising on her arm involuntarily. As Ga Eun turned around and stared at the staff member’s back, Manager Moon rushed to her side.

“Is there a problem?”

“That staff member, which department are they from?”

Just as Ga Eun was about to point to where the man had been standing, he had already disappeared.

“Where?”

At Ga Eun’s words, Manager Moon looked around for the staff member but couldn’t see anyone.

“Never mind. I must be too sensitive.”

Believing she was being overly cautious due to nerves, Ga Eun quickly headed backstage. While Ga Eun focused on the fashion show, many reporters took their seats one by one.

“All models, please get ready.”

At the director’s words, the models lined up in order of their stage appearance. As dazzling lights came on in the fashion show venue, music began to play.

“Cue!”

At the director’s signal, the models went out onto the fashion show stage one by one.

From behind, Ga Eun watched the clothes she had designed long ago. The reporters seated in the audience continuously pressed their camera shutters.

Now only the final stage remained. After the last model’s walk began, Ga Eun prepared to go on stage. As the music on stage changed, the lights went out briefly.

Ga Eun moved to her position, remembering the stage directions. When the stage lights came on again, Ga Eun greeted the audience with a bright smile.

Loud applause erupted from the audience. Just as Ga Eun was about to grab the microphone, a sound came from afar.

“Oh!”

The moment Ga Eun looked up, the lighting fell straight towards her. She was so shocked that her body froze in place and she tightly closed her eyes.

At that moment, feeling someone embrace her body, she opened her eyes to assess the situation.

“Are you alright? Not too shocked?”

The person who took the lighting hit instead of her was Ji Do Jun. Do Jun focused more on Ga Eun’s shock than the blood flowing from his arm.

“Are you okay?”

Ga Eun asked Do Jun with a pale face. Fortunately, the lighting had just missed Do Jun, but his arm was injured by broken glass shards from the light.

“Let’s go to the hospital first.”

The sudden accident turned the fashion show venue into chaos. Do Jun only worried about Ga Eun until the end.

“You must have worked hard preparing for the fashion show.”

“Your arm is more important than the fashion show right now…”

Ga Eun couldn’t finish her sentence, feeling guilty. Shortly after, Do Jun and Ga Eun boarded an ambulance with the paramedics who had arrived at the scene. Glass fragments were embedded in Do Jun’s arm.

“Your fashion show was plenty impressive.”

Ga Eun couldn’t look directly at Do Jun’s face as he continued to reassure her while sweating profusely. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Do Jun immediately went into the operating room to have his torn arm treated.

Ga Eun could only nervously chew her lower lip as she stared at the tightly closed operating room door.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Madam.”

The owner of the voice was Do Jun’s secretary.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

At Secretary Kim’s words, Ga Eun’s pent-up emotions exploded. Tears welled up in her eyes, about to fall at any moment.

“Do Jun got badly hurt instead of me.”

Secretary Kim seemed unsurprised, as if he had anticipated this would happen.

“The CEO already knew about this.”

“What?”

Ga Eun’s eyes widened at Secretary Kim’s sudden words. Secretary Kim calmly explained everything that had happened until now to Ga Eun.

[This is the timeline separator]

3 hours earlier.

Do Jun, who had been looking at approval documents, kept losing focus on his work. As if he had made up his mind, he quickly grabbed his coat and rushed out of the CEO’s office. Secretary Kim hurriedly stopped Do Jun as he was leaving the office.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yoon Ga Eun is in danger.”

“What?”

Do Jun was too anxious to explain properly. The secretary had no choice but to follow behind Do Jun. The two quickly got into the car and arrived at the fabric factory where the World Fashion Show was being held.

Only after arriving at the scene did Do Jun’s tense face relax a little.

“What did you mean earlier?”

Secretary Kim, who had been observing the situation, asked Do Jun again.

“It seemed they wouldn’t give up until the end, so I secretly planted someone at the scene. I received a call that someone had tampered with the lighting.”

Upon hearing Do Jun’s words, Secretary Kim became excited as well.

“Then we should report it to the police right away.”

Just as Secretary Kim was about to make the call on his phone, Do Jun quickly snatched the phone from his hand.

“It will be easier if I get hurt.”

Secretary Kim still couldn’t understand what Do Jun was saying.

“What do you mean?”

“If I get hurt instead of Yoon Ga Eun in this accident, Shin Oh Group can intervene in this incident, can’t we?”

Only after hearing Do Jun’s words did Secretary Kim understand the bigger picture Do Jun was painting. As Ga Eun’s husband, there were limits to how Do Jun could move.

Shin Oh Group was also entangled in interests with various other groups, so Do Jun had to be mindful of the eyes of executives and shareholders.

However, if Do Jun was hurt by an assailant, the situation would change. Shin Oh Group would have a justification to catch the culprit of this incident by any means necessary.

“But it’s too dangerous, CEO.”

Hearing Secretary Kim’s words, the corners of Do Jun’s mouth subtly turned upwards.

“I need to score quite a few points with Yoon Ga Eun.”

Secretary Kim couldn’t understand a word of what Do Jun was saying.

As soon as he finished speaking, Do Jun hurriedly opened the door to get out of the car. At that moment, Secretary Kim blocked Do Jun from getting out of the car. Secretary Kim couldn’t just stand by and watch his boss get hurt.

Do Jun showed Secretary Kim a photo that had arrived on his phone.

“Secretary Kim, make sure this person doesn’t escape from the fashion show venue. If someone instructed him, he’ll surely try to flee after confirming the accident scene.”

Do Jun left these words of instruction with Secretary Kim before immediately disappearing into the fashion show venue.

Secretary Kim looked at the photo Do Jun had given him and began searching for the man who would be looking around the fashion show venue.